CLEARCREEK TWP. — The domestic incident Clearcreek Twp. police were dispatched on Tuesday night, which ended with one officer shot is one of the most dangerous circumstances for law enforcement, according to data from the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI.
News Center 7′s Jon Bedell studied the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted database, which shows that during the last decade, across the United State from 2012 through 2021, 504 officers were slain and 41 of those were killed while responding to calls for a domestic disturbance or domestic violence.
That accounts for eight percent of the total number of officers killed in the United States from 2012 and 2021.
>> MORE: Check out the Law Enforcement Officers Killed & Assaulted database for yourself
“Nobody really likes the police to have to come in and deal with your domestic affairs,” Butler Twp. Police Chief John Porter told Bedell on Thursday. “But because of that, it just puts everything in a very heightened, emotional level.”
>> ‘Hard work ahead’ for wounded Clearcreek Twp. police officer’s recovery
Porter, who has been in law enforcement 37 years, did not discuss the Clearcreek Twp. incident in part because the investigation is continuing, but Bedell said he did give this response to the following question:
“In general, what is it about domestic violence or domestic disturbance calls that can create danger for police?”
>> RELATED: Community support strong for Clearcreek Twp. officer shot in line of duty
Porter said, “Well, automatically individuals that are involved in domestic violence are at a high level of emotion. And so walking into a personal situation where people are at this high level, it automatically creates a high-tension amongst the family unit – whether it’s the husband, the wife, or whatever, that high emotional level and trying to bring those individuals down so that we can help or understand what’s going on makes for a very dangerous situation.”
Porter said the entire law enforcement community is hoping for the best for Clearcreek Twp. Officer Eric Ney, who is recovering from being shot in the face during that incident Tuesday night.
“We hope and pray for a fast and speedy recovery for him,” Porter said. “Our organization is there for him and his family also in this time of need.”
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